An Overview of Plastic Bottle Recycling in Canada

An Overview of Plastic Bottle Recycling
in Canada





Prepared for

Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC)




Submitted by

CM Consulting










Updated August 2004




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The Environment and Plastics Industry Council (EPIC) is a Council of the Canadian Plastics
Industry Association. Its members are plastic resin manufacturers, processors, converters and
recyclers.

EPIC represents the Canadian plastics industry in promoting the responsible use and recovery of
plastic resources. EPIC activities in Canada involve working in partnership with governments,
NGO’s, industry and other groups to increase the diversion of plastics from landfill.

EPIC has spearheaded many initiatives involving the development of ‘best practices,
computer models, guidelines, demonstrations, market development and research. EPIC's
work is to promote environmentally and economically sustainable plastic recycling
and an integrated approach to waste management involving all treatment options."

For further information, please contact:

Cathy Cirko
Vice President, Environment & Health
CPIA
5915 Airport Road, Suite 712
Mississauga, Ontario
L4V 1T1

Tel: 905- 678-7405 ext 234
Fax: 905-678-0774











This report was prepared by Clarissa Morawski with support from Melissa Felder of CM
Consulting. Data was attained through direct calls to recycling program operators, industry
and government. In addition, waste composition studies were utilized, as provided by EPIC.
All data has been referenced.

CM Consulting
51 Wolseley St., 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M5T 1A4
tel: (416) 682-8984
fax: (416) 682-8985
mobile: (416) 875-7059
morawski@ca.inter.net

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Table of Contents


Executive Summary ................................................................................................ 4

Findings and Recommendations ......................................................................... 5

Summary of Recovery Efforts in Canada

PET Beverage Recycling............................................................................ 9
HDPE Beverage Recycling ......................................................................10
PET and HDPE Recycling (non-beverage) ...........................................11
Motor Oil Bottle Recycling.......................................................................12

Methodology, Data Sources and Scope ......................................................... 13

Additional Assumptions for Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec ...................... 14

Provincial Summaries............................................................................................ 17

Plastic beverage bottle recovery..........................................................19
Non-beverage PET and HDPE bottle recovery in municipal
curbside and voluntary depot col ection systems.............................. 21
Milk jug recovery.......................................................................................23
Motor oil bottle recovery.........................................................................25

Information Sources – Personal Contacts......................................................... 27

Other Sources of Information.............................................................................. 28

Appendix A – Population data 2002 ................................................................. 29

Appendix B – Summary of per capita waste composition studies............... 30

Appendix C – Unit conversion data .................................................................. 31

Appendix D - By Province / By Material Plastic Bottle Recovery .................. 33

Appendix E – Methodology and Data Sources............................................... 36



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Executive Summary

Recovery and recycling of plastic bottles in Canada varies dramatically
based on the province and the bottle type.

In 2002, of the 235,086 tonnes generated, approximately 84,709 tonnes or 36%
of plastic bottle material was recovered and recycled, based on available
data.

To date, deposit return systems for beverage containers are 2.3 times more
effective than municipal curbside and voluntary depot programs. (75%
deposit return versus 33% non-deposit return).

Non-deposit return recovery rates are significantly lower that those achieved
in deposit return jurisdictions because incentives (like deposit refunds) do not
exist for recycling. Also, “away-from-home” generation accounts for about
63% of all PET beverage containers. Recycling services in away-from-home
locations (parks, beaches, commercial establishments, venues, events etc.)
are very limited.

The weakest areas of plastic bottle recovery are from the residential sector for
non-beverage bottles, like those used for detergents, cleaners, and food. In
general, these bottles are collected through locally organized and financed
municipal curbside and voluntary depot programs.

Residential recycling rates are also impacted by low recovery from multi-
residential units (apartment buildings), where convenience, awareness and
increasing participation are challenges. This is a growing sector.

Dedicated programs for the recovery of HDPE milk jugs operate in several
provinces and the recovery rates vary from 38% to 63%.

Stewardship programs for the recovery of plastic motor oil bottles operate in
four Canadian provinces and the recovery rates vary from 18% to 45%.
Ontario and Quebec will be implementing similar used motor oil bottle
stewardship programs soon.

Financing plastic bottle recovery in Canada varies by bottle type and
collection system. In several cases, up-front consumer fees are used to
generate revenue to off-set program costs. In some provinces, excess
generated revenue is also used to subsidize other provincial environmental
programs. Ontario’s new Blue Box Program charges brandowners material-
based levies, which are used to finance 50% of the net blue box, program
costs. 1

1 For more information on financing schemes for bottle recovery see report: Who Pays What – An Analysis of
Beverage Container Recovery in Canada 2001-2002 by CM Consulting.
www.bottlebill.org/assets/pdfs/geography/WPW_FINAL_REPORT.pdf

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Findings

Plastic beverage and non-beverage generation and recovery in Canada
Recovery of plastic bottles in Canadian provinces varies dramatically based on the
bottle type. In 2002, 235,086 tonnes of plastic bottles were generated and about
84,744 tonnes were recovered and recycled based on available data. This is a
recovery rate of 36%.


Plastic beverage and non-beverage bottle generation and recovery in
Canada
Tonnes
Tonnes
Recovery
Province
Generated
Recovered
Rate
British Columbia
26,646 13,036
49%
Alberta
21,293 9,595
45%
Saskatchewan
6,600 3,168
48%
Manitoba
8,908 2,407
27%
Ontario
88,665 27,402
31%
Quebec
63,987 20,482
32%
New Brunswick
6,094 2,323
38%
Nova Scotia
7,646 4,316
56%
Newfoundland
4,718 1,798
38%
Prince Edward Island
529 219
41%
TOTAL
235,086 84,744
36%


Key findings are:

Generation
About 54% of the plastic bottles generated were beverage bottles.

Recovery
About 72% of the plastic bottles recovered comprise of beverage bottles.


Plastic Beverage Bottle Recovery in Canada
An estimated 125,775 tonnes of plastic beverage bottles were generated in Canada
in 2002. Of this, about 60,949 tonnes were recovered and recycled. This is a recovery
rate of 48%.





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Plastic Beverage Bottle Recovery in Canada
Tonnes
Tonnes
Recovery
Province
Generated
Recovered
Rate
British Columbia
10,968 8,555
78%
Alberta
10,892 7,624
70%
Saskatchewan
3,073 2,741
89%
Manitoba
5,059 1,493
30%
Ontario
50,904 17,819
35%
Quebec (non-SD) 23,270 6,905
30%
Quebec (SD)
11,610 8,359
72%
New Brunswick
3,198 2,323
73%
Nova Scotia
4,090 3,333
81%
Newfoundland
2,712 1,798
66%
TOTAL
125,775.4 60,949.5
48%


Key findings are:

Generation
About 63% of the plastic beverage bottles in Canada are generated in
Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec (non-soft drinks), where deposit return
programs do not exist.

Recovery
The average recovery rate for beverage bottles in non-deposit programs is
33%.
The average recovery rate for beverage bottles in deposit return programs is
75%.
Overall, an estimated 34,732 tonnes of bottles were recovered through
deposit return programs, or 57% of the total beverage bottles collected.


Non-beverage PET and HDPE bottle recovery in municipal curbside and voluntary
depot collection systems
An estimated 108,782 tonnes of non-beverage PET and HDPE bottles were generated
in Canada in 2002. Of this, about 23,575 tonnes were recovered and recycled. This is
a recovery rate of 22%.




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Non-beverage PET and HDPE bottle recovery through municipal curbside and
voluntary depot collection systems
Tonnes
Tonnes
Recovery
Province
Generated
Recovered
Rate
British Columbia
15,678 4,481
29%
Alberta
10,401 1,971
19%
Saskatchewan
3,527 426
10%
Manitoba
3,849 914
24%
Ontario
37,761 9,583
25%
Quebec
29,107 5,218
18%
New Brunswick
2,896 -
0%
Nova Scotia
3,556 983
28%
Newfoundland
2,006 -
0%
NATIONAL TOTAL
108,782 23,575
22%

Generation
About 46% of the total PET and HDPE bottles generated in Canada were
comprised of non-beverage bottles.
Recovery rates for non-beverage bottles vary across the country depending
on program access, program maturity, and scope of plastic bottles
recovered. Mature programs such as British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and
Nova Scotia have higher rates of 24%-29%, while other provinces, like
Newfoundland have virtually no non-beverage recovery initiatives in place.



Milk jug recovery
Plastic milk jugs are not the most common means of delivering fluid milk in many
parts of Canada. However, in those regions where jugs are popular (British Columbia,
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia), the system in place for their recovery
achieves approximately a 50 per cent rate of return. Collectively, the provinces of
British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia generated 8,145
tonnes of plastic milk jugs in 2002.

Generation
Western provinces generate far greater milk jugs per capita than Ontario
and Quebec. In central Canada, the majority of milk is sold in plastic film
pouches (83% market share in Ontario) and cartons.



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Recovery
In provinces that have milk jug recovery programs in place, the estimated
recovery rate is 50%.


Milk Jug Recovery
Tonnes
Tonnes
Province
Generated
Recovered
Recovery Rate
British Columbia
4485
2848
63%
Alberta
2553
1192
47%
Saskatchewan
839
318
38%
Nova Scotia
267
134
50%
TOTAL

8,144.7

4,491.4

50%



Used motor oil bottles
Used motor oil bottle stewardship programs exist in the four western provinces.

Generation
Generation of small (1-litre) oil bottles is on the decline as more motor oil is
being packaged in bulk containers.

Recovery
Motor Oil Bottle Recovery
Province
Kg
Kg
Recovery
Generated
Recovered
rate
British Columbia*
1,518,780 473,844
31%
Alberta
2,700,411 1,215,185
45%
Saskatchewan
988,786 193,150
20%
Manitoba
911,111 164,000
18%
TOTAL
6,119,088 2,046,179
33%
In western provinces, the recovery rate for motor oil bottles is 33%.



* The data represented for British Columbia is for the first eight months of the program only
(Aug 2003-March 2004).





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Summary of Recovery Efforts in Canada

PET Beverage Recycling

In most Canadian provinces, PET beverages used for soft drinks, water, juice, liquor
and other new-age beverages are collected for recycling through deposit return
programs. A 5-cent or 20-cent deposit/refund serves as the economic instrument,
which provides an incentive to consumers to return the container to a collection
center. In these systems, all PET beverages, whether consumed at home or away-
from-home are part of the program.

In those provinces where deposit programs do not exist, a mature curbside recycling
program is usually available to residents for recycling their PET beverage containers.

The following map identifies the PET beverage recycling programs in Canada today.

PET Beverage Recycling
Deposit return programs – strong recovery
Hybrid System –Deposit return for soft- drinks and curbside for other
PET beverage (ALL PET soft- drink and residential other PET)
Curbside Recycling
– moderate recovery (only residential PET)

Copyright
- CM Consulting

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HDPE Beverage Recycling

Similar to the recovery systems for PET, HDPE beverage containers used for juice,
water and other new age beverages are recovered in most parts of Canada
through deposit return programs. Nearly all mature curbside recycling programs also
offer HDPE beverage bottle collection, as illustrated in the map below.

HDPE Beverage Recycling
Deposit return programs – strong recovery
Curbside Recycling – moderate recovery (only residential HDPE)
Copyright - CM Consulting



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